Thomas Pirtle, Ph.D.

Summary: Planarian worms have the remarkable ability to regenerate missing body parts–including the brain. Pluripotent stem cells in the planarian body are responsible for regenerating missing body parts. My research focuses on neural regeneration. I am interested in how herbal supplements help support neural regeneration in the planarian model system.

Minimum classes: Molecules to Cell

Projects:
Students will treat planarian worms with Lion’s Mane mushroom extract or other herbal supplements that claim to benefit neural function. The analysis will include immunohistochemistry and other histological procedures to analyze changes in brain structure at the cellular level in untreated and treated worms. Additionally, students will design a behavior assay to compare differences in untreated and treated worm behavior.